Ms Ardern arrived in Manhattan yesterday for the United Nations General Assembly for a week of meetings, high-level speeches and media appearances.

More than 140 world leaders are gathering for the annual meeting amid tight security.

Ms Ardern gave her first speech of the week in the early hours of this morning New Zealand time, opening the Social Good Summit in Manhattan.

Her speech focused mainly on her government's plans to lift children in New Zealand out of poverty and to assist low and middle income families.

She said a year on from New Zealand's election which ultimately brought her into office, she was recommitting to working with the international community to make things better for children.

"To make sure that no matter where you are born in the world, your local school is the best school, there is food and a health system that you can rely on and perhaps most importantly that you are loved and that you are heard."

Ms Ardern told the summit to rapturous applause that despite New Zealand only being a small country of 4.5 million people it was the first country to give women the right to vote 125 years ago.